Kelly Thompson, 44, Milton Keynes, UK
I really was living the dream. For so long I’d been used to the cold, grey skies of England. Now I’d been well and truly seduced by Spain’s glorious sunshine.
Fourteen years earlier, I had got a job in hospitality that meant I could live on the vibrant Costa Del Sol. Not only did I get to sip cocktails by the pool each evening, I bagged myself a gorgeous man too. What more could a girl ask for?
I’d first spotted Warren when my friend Margaret and I had gone for a girls’ night out in Marbella. He was the head doorman at a local nightclub and she offered to introduced us.
Warren seemed keen to get to know me – and even though he towered above my 150cm frame with his brawny 201cm physique, we instantly clicked. He told me that he’d been working there for a year or so, but was originally from Scotland. Not only was he tall, he was handsome too. Could he be my perfect match?
What more could a girl ask for?
At 32, I’d been single for a couple of years, but I vowed I wasn’t about to rush into a holiday romance. The trouble is, it’s hard to be objective where matters of the heart are concerned. So when Warren asked if I wanted to go for a drink, I found myself agreeing.
Our date went perfectly – and from that moment on we were a couple. Soon we moved in together, and we were both so thrilled when I fell pregnant.
I already had three boys from a previous relationship – George, now 17, Danny, 21, and Jimmy, 23 – and when I gave birth to a girl, Sophie, I felt complete. The plan was to bring her up in Spain, but in truth Warren and I had begun to feel homesick.
I missed my late mum Helen, then 63, and my dad Mick, 70, and I knew they’d love to spend more time with their only grand-daughter. So, three months later, Warren and I decided that we would return to the UK.
Warren owned a small flat he let out in Coventry and we rented another place nearby.
While I was a stay-at-home mum, he took on jobs as a pub doorman at night and a security guard by day to try to make ends meet. Even though I knew that he was just doing his best for our family, his long hours were tough on us both and I missed him a lot.
But after three years, I began to notice that Warren was becoming distant with me. He was secretive with his mobile, keeping it hidden in his pocket all the time – and we didn’t talk like we used to. Did he want to be with someone else?
Was I being paranoid or was something going on?
Everything came to a head one night when I heard Warren whispering into his phone in the early hours. His mobile was always with him, so there was no chance to look at it.
But the contract was in my name, so that day, I checked with our supplier to find out what number he had called. Was I being paranoid or was something going on?
I had to know, so I dialled the number and was shocked when a woman answered.
‘Hello, Lucy* here,’ she said.
My heart hammered in my chest and I immediately hung up. Was Warren cheating?
As soon as he came home, I confronted him. ‘Who is Lucy, and why are you calling her in the middle of the night?’ I raged.
Warren told me she was a work colleague who’d called to warn him the locks on the building where he worked as a security guard were broken. It did sound plausible. ‘Sorry,’ I breathed. ‘I was just worried.’
‘I don’t like the fact you don’t trust me,’ he snapped.
He was right. I felt really bad about what I’d done. And when Warren became even more distant, I blamed myself.
‘I don’t like the fact you don’t trust me,’ he snapped.
I thought we’d managed to patch things up, and although there were still ups and downs in our relationship, wasn’t it the same for most couples? For me, the important thing was that my love for Warren never wavered.
Then, in July last year we were hit by another setback when a leak left the house flooded. I called the plumber who said we’d need to relocate for a night. Thank goodness we have Warren’s rental property to go to, I thought. He’d told me it wasn’t leased at the moment, so I picked up the spare keys and drove there with Sophie.
A few hours later, I was happily watching TV when I heard a key in the lock. Warren. Or so I thought…
I couldn’t believe what happened next.
It wasn’t my man who came through the door. It was a blonde girl about 20 years younger than me. What on earth…?
I couldn’t believe what happened next. ‘Who are you? Get out or I’ll call my boyfriend, he’s a doorman,’ she exclaimed.
My head started to spin as I realised I recognised her voice. That phone call I’d made so many years earlier… ‘Can I ask what your name is?’ I said. But I already knew the answer.
‘Lucy,’ she replied, and my world came crashing down as she revealed that she’d been dating Warren for six years.
Although she’d known he had a daughter, she hadn’t realised we were still together. We’d both been duped. My man had been living a double life.
Feeling angry and hurt by Warren’s deception, I drove home – stopping on the way at a joke shop where I bought some itching powder. I know it sounds silly but I really felt the need to do something.
Back at our place, I picked my way over sodden carpets and into our bedroom. Then I pulled out Warren’s undies and peppered the powder into each pair. But I wasn’t finished yet. Fury engulfed me as I cut off the sleeves of his work suits and rubbed his toothbrush around the toilet rim.
Nothing would change what had happened, but when I thought of Warren putting on his itchy undies and brushing his teeth later that night a smile crept to my lips. He’d get what he deserved!
But I wasn’t going to wait around. He’d played me for a fool long enough. Instead, I packed up my and Sophie’s things and drove to Mum’s.
He’d get what he deserved!
Warren rang me constantly and even turned up at the door. Of course he’s still Sophie’s father so I let him see her, but I could barely bring myself to speak to him.
I later found out Warren and Lucy had split. A lot of women blame the ‘other woman’, but I don’t hold Lucy responsible for what happened. She was a victim too. It’s Warren who hurt me.
These days I’m single, but I’m starting to heal and looking for love again. When I met Warren, I thought I’d found my perfect match. I guess I was wrong.
Originally published in that’s life! Issue 45, 2013.
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